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These soft gluten-free apple spice cookies are bursting with fall flavor and because they’re oat-based, also happen to be 100% whole grain.
Hi there! I’m Erin from Texanerin Baking, where I blog all about healthier whole grain, gluten-free and grain-free sweets that taste just as yummy as the original not-so-healthy versions. I’ll be over here from time to time to share some gluten-free treats with you, starting off with these gluten-free apple spice cookies.
I adapted them from my 100% whole grain chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. It’s my favorite oatmeal cookie base and I figured that it’d probably be easy enough to make gluten-free. I added some almond butter to help hold everything together, which is usually gluten’s job, and I replaced the whole wheat flour with oat flour. Oat flour is simply ground up oats but it can be quite expensive. Luckily, you can make your own by finely grinding quick or rolled oats in a food processor or coffee grinder. I also increased the cinnamon and added some nutmeg and cardamom, which compliments the apple nicely and turns regular oatmeal based cookies into spice cookies that are just perfect for fall!
While these apple spice cookies aren’t quite as chewy as the original oatmeal raisin recipe, they’re wonderfully soft and just a little chewy. I found also that rolling the cookie dough in sugar adds a thin, crisp sugary crust that makes these cookies all the more irresistible.
Because I used oats and oat flour, these apple cookies are 100% whole grain in addition to being gluten-free. While oats are naturally gluten-free, they’re often contaminated in the field or during production, so it’s necessary to buy certified gluten-free oats if you need these cookies to be gluten-free.
I often get asked if rolled oats can be used in place of quick oats and vice versa. Sometimes it’s okay but in these, I definitely recommend quick oats because they yield chewier and less cakey cookies. Coconut oil also contributes to a chewier texture and makes these cookies dairy-free, and while butter does work here, it yields a slightly cakier cookie. I’m all about giving people options so if you don’t need a gluten-free version, you can use whole wheat flour (and I’m guessing all-purpose flour would work, too) in place of the oat flour and omit the almond butter.
A lot of gluten-free recipes call for several special flours and other ingredients most non-gluten-free households typically don’t have. If you’ve been wanting to bake something special for friends or family with gluten sensitivities, these soft apple spice cookies are the way to go!
Gluten Free Apple Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups certified gluten-free oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup coconut oil * melted
- ½ cup almond butter
- 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 ¾ cups certified gluten-free quick oats
- 1 ½ cup apple chunks about 1/4" in size
- ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- 1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt. Set aside.
- 2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil, almond butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs.
- 3. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir just until combined.
- 4. Stir in the oats until almost combined and then stir in the apples. The dough will be quite sticky.
- 5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or until the dough is firm enough to be rolled into balls.
- 6. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Place the sugar in a small bowl.
- 7. Roll the dough into 1" balls and roll in the sugar.Place the dough balls 3" apart on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 9-12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies no longer appear wet on the surface. They will be quite soft but will firm up slightly as they cool.
- Let cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I can’t WAIT to make these cookies! I love the simplicity of the ingredients – oat flour is one of my favorite gluten-free flours to bake with. And that crispy sugar on the outside? Sounds addicting!
I hope you’ll enjoy them, Sarah! And I agree – oat flour is awesome. Wholesome and not at all funky tasting! ;)
Hello! I’m so excited about this recipe as I was just ordered to go gluten-free. However, we have a nut allergy in our house as well. What would you consider a good substitute for almond butter? I’m not familiar with taste or consistency and I’m afraid to compare it to peanut butter.
Hi, Kim! You could use SunButter, which is made from sunflower seeds. I’ve never used it myself, and I can’t guarantee that it’d work in these, but I know a lot of nut-free households use that instead of nut butters. Just be warned that it can turn your treats green! I hope that you and your family will enjoy the cookies. :)
Thank you and I hope you’re having a nice Halloween!
Erin
I think I will try substituting sorghum flour for the oat flour. I do have to eat gluten free and I love using sorghum flour in breads and other baked goods. Looking forward to trying these!!
Angela-
Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Erin, I loooove the look of these apple spice cookies! Can’t wait to try your recipe!! I love oats so this will be a nice project for my next baking adventure :)
Rose-
Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
love these cookies!! I’ve been so surprised lately with the delicious taste of gluten-free cookies and baked treats. . pinning this one and will totally give this one a try!
Thanks, Alice! That’s what I love about oats and oat flour – they don’t taste weird or produce funky textures, which is hard to say about some of the other GF flours. I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies if you do try them and thanks for pinning!
These look great for fall. I love anything baked with apples, and will give these a try for my gluten-free daughter. Thanks!
Thank you, Karen! I hope that you and your daughter will both enjoy the cookies. I’d love to hear how they come out!
These cookies look so good! I could eat a dozen! Well done, Erin!
Thanks, Anna! A dozen sounds good but if you could make it 18, you’d get all your fiber in for the day. You can do it! ;)
These look divine! I can smell them already, and since they’re made with oats and oat flour…you can eat them for breakfast, right? ;)
But of course! They’ve got apples, too. Perhaps I should have called these breakfast cookies. ;)
How yummy do these look?! So fun to see Erin on here. These are definitely going on my “to bake” list.
Hi, Katrina! I hope you’ll like the cookies if you try them. :)
These sounds so good, I love oat flour and use it all the time, even though I don’t need to eat gluten free — the flavor and texture is fabulous!
Thanks, Sue! I also don’t eat gluten-free (though I do a lot of GF baking!) but still use oat flour every now and then. I love that it doesn’t give sweets that gritty and unpleasant taste that you get with a lot of other GF flours.